This invention relates to a recording apparatus for use, for example, in a facsimile receiver and in particular a recording apparatus which permits overall reduction in size as well as an improvement in operation efficiency.
The conventional recording system for use, for example, in the facsimile receiver includes, for example, an electrolytic recording, discharge recording, heat-sensitive recording, electrostatic recording and ink jet type recording system. These systems are properly selected, and used, in view of various circumstances such as the application and cost of the apparatus and the amount, speed and cost of transmission. Among them, a system whose signal is subjected to a band compression processing from the standpoint of a saving in transmission cost comes into wide, practical use and an electrostatic recording system has been mainly adopted in view of the necessity of, for example, high-speed recording, high-quality recording and excellent image retainability.
FIG. 1 shows an arrangement of a conventional facsimile receiver adopting an electrostatic recording system. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 shows a roll of unused, electrostatic recording paper. The recording paper is supplied through a feed roller 2 to a nip between an electrostatic recording head 3, constituting a record section, and a back roller 4. The recording head 3 at the facsimile receiver side is supplied with a facsimile signal from the facsimile transmitter side, not shown. An electrostatic latent image corresponding to an image to be recorded is formed on the recording paper 1 by the recording head 3. At this time, the feed roller 2 and back roller are intermittently rotated for each predetermined time interval by a drive means such as a pulse motor, not shown, causing the recording paper to be fed to permit a subsidiary scanning. In this way, reception recording is completed. After this is done, the recording paper 1 is further fed and cut by an automatic cutter 5 when a recording paper portion corresponding to a trailing adge of a transmitting document i.e. a predetermined recording paper portion as measured from its leading edge reaches a cutting position.
The recording paper 1, after so cut to substantially the same length as that of the transmitting document and separated away from the rest of the recording paper, is supplied to a developing device 14 through a horizontal travelling path constituted of guide members 6, 7 and 8 and feed rollers 9 and 10 and then through a turning travelling path comprised of feed rollers 11, 12 and guide member 13. The developing device 14 applies toner powder onto the cut recording paper 1 to effect development. The developed recording paper 1 is fixed by a fixing device 15 and delivered through a delivery roller 16 and stacked onto a stacker 17.
In the facsimile receiver, the recording paper is in a normal feed mode past the developing device 14 and fixing device 15. The reason for this is that upon intermittent feeding of the recording paper as at the reception recording time, a high-quality image cannot be obtained due to, for example, the nonuniform deposition of the toner power. In order to permit the recording paper 1 to be fed in the normal feed mode past the developing device 14 and fixing device 15, the device of FIG. 1 has the following arrangement. That is, the distance from the automatic cutter 5 to the feed roller 12 is made to correspond to a length greater than a recording maximum length (300 mm to 400 mm) corresponding to the length of the transmitting document with a considerably greater horizontal path left between the automatic cutter 5 and the guide member 8, and the recording paper 1 is fed at a fixed speed past the developing device 14 and fixing device 15 with the normal feed effected between the feed rollers 12 and 16. The above-mentioned apparatus has a depth substantially corresponding to the length of the horizontal travelling path from the cutter 5 to the guide member 8 plus the depth of the turning travelling path from the feed roller 11 to the guide member 13, or substantially corresponding to the depth of the turning travelling path including the guide member 13 and the roller 12 plus the length of the horizontal travelling path from the developing device 14 through the fixing device 15 to the feed roller 16 plus the length of the horizontal stacker 17. That is, the facsimile receiver of FIG. 1 has a fairly great horizontal depth and in the case of, for example, a console type facsimile receiver, an excessively bulker unit results. Moreover, a memory section is located immediately below the stacker 17 and other members, offering disadvantages of having to remove the stacker 17 etc. upon exchange or replenishment of the recording paper. It is also difficult to eliminate a hindrance such as paper jamming.